The Sabres really didn't play THAT bad. That's just about the best that they can do.

Tons of chances, but no finishing... once again. Should have been 4-2 Buffalo.

*Sigh...

_________________
Wheelhouse

It's not the best they can do. We've seen them play much better. Faster, harder, more driven, more competitive, much more effective.

Ive seen em play MUCH better..

_________________
Miller, Myers and Greir are sick, but not Jesus Christ..

KILL OTTAWA

They looked like they were flying to me.

They came back hard on the back check. How many times did you see Ovechkin get turned inside out by a forward coming from behind? It happened a lot.

The poor execution was on offense. Period. They just don't get it done there.

_________________
Wheelhouse

We were horrific offensively. Our one goal happened because of a bad bounce. When our offense is clicking, our transition game is excellent, we fly up the ice and usually get chances. Instead, tonight we turned a 4 on 2 into absolutely nothing. The puck didn't even reach the net. We were horrible tonight.

... Read my first post, and that's the point I was making.

It was all on offense that we had problems. That's because we don't have players that can effectively play offense.

The effort was there. It was just a lack of creativity and raw offensive talent. Period.

_________________
Wheelhouse

You said they didn't have the talent to do it. My point is, they do, they just don't have the ability to be consistent with that talent.

This time of year, they don't have the talent to do it. We just had a huge test, and we failed. Twice. Two elite teams, two losses stemming from a lack of goal scorers.

You hear Lindy? He said he thought Roy started great. And he's right. Then he said Roy got frustrated and started to do too much by himself. Then he said maybe they need a change up.

Translation: Derek Roy is playing well right now, but Vanek and Hecht can't finish for jack shit, and that pisses Roy off so he won't give the puck to them any more, so it's time for me to put someone who can score with him.

_________________
Wheelhouse

Roy has waken up the past 10 games for sure.

_________________

As usual the forwards are confused about their roles. I don't think enough consideration is put into role on this team. I'm afraid to see what happens when Gerbe and Ennis are asked to improve their physical game. The last line this team had with any identity was the RAV line. Somehow someone's 'system' fucked that up though.


btw, that's like 3 negative posts in a row, I've been counting.

they passed way too much. i mean they had a couple chances where they should have passed and shot and a lot of situations where they should have shot but passed. Isn't the goal to get the puck on the net. i mean the puck cannot go in the net if it is not directed at the net.

_________________
"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

You're picking out specific things they did wrong.

At the end of the day, they didn't play offense correctly. They haven't since 06-07.

It's been long fucking enough. I've been dying for Ennis to come up.

At this point, I'm stoked for Torres. He's a better scorer than ANY winger we have on this team. And that is a very sad thing to say.

_________________
Wheelhouse

true but washington clicked on their passes and did not turn over as many pucks on passes, played as a team together. Thus i'd say passing was something i noticed and annoyed the guy next to me about who talked about his job with the bills security pretty much the whole night.

_________________
"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

Vanek (and almost the whole top 6) sucked. As usual.

To be honest if i was lindy ruff i would be taking the herb brooks approach at this point, make them skate after games, make them practice harder, and if they dont they get to watch the game from the box, plain and simple no two ways about it. We know they can all do better some of them just choose not to, why should they? they are getting paid millions of dollars, they can just chillax and retire whenever, its pathetic, hell i cant even skate andi would put up more of an effort than these guys that dont *cough ROY cough*

_________________

LETS GO BUFFALO!

PSP, you're both right -- and wrong.

You were right when you said:



Any game in which you keep Alex Ovechkin off the score sheet, you have a good chance at winning.

However, you are wrong to say:



Um, no -- the best they can do is what they DID back on Dec. 9th, when they shut out those same Caps 3-0 . . . a game in which two defensemen and a rookie accounted for the Sabres' scoring.

This time, WAS scored once [Chimera] the same way we did, from a bad turnover in our own zone.

Green's goal was from a defensive breakdown oddly reminiscent of Dupuis' goal in the PIT game.

And Gordon's empty-netter was a result of the Sabres going into Keystone Kops mode when trying to clear their own zone.

_________________
“This is a good building to play in,” Roy said. “It’s kind of quiet.”

-- forward Derek Roy, following the Sabres' 2-1 OT win over the Atlanta Thrashers on Jan. 14, 2010, a game where the home team drew just over 11,000 fans {the ninth time in 22 home games they failed to draw 12,000}

The team has no offense. Just Miller to even keep them in games. Things are really looking bleak for the Sabres.

I hope they can even make the playoffs now.

_________________
--Scott

Our offense needs that guy. That sniper/finisher. Someone who is a pure goalscorer and that sure as hell isn't Raffi Torres.

_________________
"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

I'm still not endeared with Roy's play. Too much 'me me me', too much drying to dangle between 3 defenseman, too many ill advised blind passes and turnovers.

a sniper would be nice buuuuuuut then they would be relying on two players to win games. The whole team needs to be able to score, like earlier in the season. Torres is not the answer but he currently leads the team in goals with 19. By now, this team should have at least one 20+ goal scorer (Vanek) but we don't. He is still 2 shy of breaking the 20 goal mark.

Face it, this team is not set up to be a high scoring team. Darcy is horrible at trying to find (let alone keep) players who can score alot, consistently.

_________________